Lifeline Safety net installation wood toerail

[svey]

I've would like to install a lifeline safety net around my 23' O'Day. My boat has wooden toe rails. There is 5 stanchions on each side plus a small pulpit in the front. What is the best way to install the net around the boat? I'm installing the net to keep the toys and my 2 years old boy inside the boat. I know the net is not a panacea for proper supervision but it might keep my diving gear inside the boat next weekend.

Tx

Yves

[sailingfool]

Yves,
tough question, I would try stringing sections of a small but low-stretch line from one stanchion base another, maybe secure to the second base with a truckers hitch Trucker's Hitch to get each section of line as taunt as possible. Then attach the netting from the lifeline to the lower line. Do one section, then lean against the netting and see how much space opens up under the bottom line, if any. If the deflection seems to great (big enough for the kid to get under...), screw a small strap fitting to the inside ot the toerail halfway between the stanchions to hold the bottom line in place.

[sailingdog]

I would install padeyes or some other device in several places along the wooden toe rail to keep the bottom of the netting closed. The idea of having a low-stretch line or webbing at the bottom of the netting to run through the padeyes is a good one and will give the installation a good deal more strength.

If the netting is polypropylene, make sure it is black polypropylene, since that will have the greatest UV resistance.

[svey]

I've purchased the netting already from Sailrite it is nylon white in color.

Lifeline Safety Netting 30 Foot x 24" Wide

[sailingdog]

Nylon does much better than polypro with respect to UV...

[poopdeckpappy]

Ya know what you could do is get some fairlead blocks for a furling line, mount them low as you can on the stanchions, get a couple Johnson eyesplice tension buckles and some amsteel 1/4 line and cinch it tight, then you have something to ziptie the bottom of the netting too

[kvaavik]

Svey,

We had netting around our boat (Gulfstar 37) for many years. THe kids finally grew up and we took it down, but I understand your issue.

Here's how we installed it. We replaced it once over the course of about 8 years of use.

- Remove the lifeline between the first two stanchions, weave it through the top edge of the netting.
- Tie one end of a line to the bottom of the first stanchion, then weave this line through the bottom edge of the netting.
- pull the netting taughty between the stanchions.
- Pull the line attached to the stanchion VERY taughts, bringing the netting down as low to the deck as you can get it.
- Tie off the line to the second stanchion, then begin on the next section.

We were able to get the netting low enough that we never worried about a kid sliding underneath it, and didn't have to add any pad eyes or hooks to the rail to do so. Small toys could be another issue, as there will remain a gap under the netting that a small object could get under.

The trick is to get the line between the stanctions very taught.

Hope that helps ...

Karl
s/v Midnight Sun
2005 Jeanneau SO40.3